A Prelude to Inuyasha Bankotsu x Misaki
by Misaki1231
Summary: This depicts a story with the main protagonist being Misaki. It follows Misaki as well as the Band of Seven before they were killed, about thirteen or so years before the main story of Inuyasha took place.
1. A Fateful Encounter

_Chapter 1: The Meeting_

 _Geez. How did it come to this? Was this the best that I could really do? Being worked to death daily, beaten and chained for speaking out... yet they still expect me to help with demons and still offer me no freedom otherwise... at this rate it seems like no village will ever accept me - that is if I can even get out of this one to look for other villages..._

I sighed as I leaned at the end of my shackles, my long golden hair falling to the floor... _humans can be such cruel creatures._

The door opened from above to reveal a man. A brute to be exact. He and his brother were my "caretakers". More like abusers.

"Hey, brought you your food, Partial" He said, tossing a small bowl of rice my way and slamming the door shut.

It didn't matter that I had a name. All they saw me as was a Partial. When a half demon (or hanyou) lays with a human, they produce a quarter demon, also known as a Partial. Why would a quarter demon be so feared? For one thing, we are rare and little is known about us. For another thing, some of us can have some... interesting combinations of powers. For instance, my father was the son of a great dragon demon and a priestess, and my mother was a powerful priestess, herself. So, in a unique twist, I happened to inherit both spiritual and demonic powers - probably the only quarter demon with such devastating potential. I could have made out to been quite the beast - but I never did. Our village was so wonderful and accepting of our family. I eventually became a sword smith and left the village to work under Master Totosai, a very talented sword smith indeed, and the creator of the great Testuaiga and Tensaiga. Unfortunately, when I returned from my apprenticeship, I came back to find my village had been desecrated. My father had been killed by demons and his sword stolen, which then left the village defenseless to bandits, who laid siege to the town. As far as I know, nobody survived... For a while, I wandered the land with my two forged swords - a demon sword with an almost non-existent aura and a sacred sword for which I transfer my spiritual powers. But when I lost possession of my demon sword I realized that I longed for a place to call home, and started hopping from town to town, looking for acceptance - searching for a place that I belonged. Each and every time, when the truth arose - and with my appearance, it didn't always take long - I was rejected. Eventually, I landed myself in this predicament, which obviously I don't have much of a choice in leaving.

 _Well, that's not particularly accurate. I could easily escape this situation. I guess the biggest point is that I've given up on finding a better place._ Out of the three years I've been searching for a place, this is the first town that hasn't tried to slay me. There weren't really any young women or children, though, so mercy wasn't at the top of the townsfolk's list. They'd rather control me than work with me. And yet, at this point, I felt like that was the best I could possibly ask for.

After my early morning breakfast, I started to hear some commotion outside. I struggled at the end of my chains to look through a crack in the wall. What I saw was terrifying and yet... almost liberating. It was a massacre. Fire and screaming danced around the battleground. _Aw, hell._ My stupid kind nature was getting to me. _I have to help the townspeople._ I look around for anything I could use to smash the chains but of course, all I had was a bowl and chopsticks. My priestess sword was too far away... G _uess I'm gonna have to kick through the wall first._ I start working at the wall where both my chains were fastened. After a while, I managed to kick through the wall all around where my chains connected. I then pulled the two chains away from one another, splintering the remaining wood that connected them so that they were split apart. I grabbed my blade and peaked out of the crack. Seven figures loomed amongst the fire and rubble. _Damn. Am I too late?_ I struggled to listen in.

"Man, that was _too_ easy."

"Don't say that yet, we still haven't found the girl." _The girl?_

"You'd think that a partial with gold hair would stick out like a sore thumb in a place like this." My eyes widened.

"Man, we won't get paid if we don't eliminate her." _Damn it all._

"See, Jokotsu? This is why we don't slaughter everyone right away when we're looking for a specific target."

"That's not fair, brother Bankotsu. You know how I get carried away. Someone should have stopped me."

"Can't be helped now. Fan out men, anyone who might still have a breath in them is to be interrogated." _Shit, anyone who lives here will give up my position in no time. Should I fight?_ I rolled the chains up around my arms so that they wouldn't be in the way.

The man with the large sword and long braid started heading towards my shed, a perplexed look on his face. _Shit! Did he hear me? Hey, that sword looks familiar..._

"Why would they chain this door shut like this." He began to undo the chains. My breathing quickened and my heart raced. _This is it, as soon as he gets that chain off, I will be fighting for my life._ I readied my sword. The chain thumped to the ground.

I burst out of the shack, swiping my sword at the man's neck, who, almost anticipating my move, dodged backwards.

"Ah, so _this_ is where you've been hiding all this time." He said with a smirk. His eyes widened with recognition as a cocky grin broke out across his face. The man raised his eyebrows. "Are those chains on your arms?"

"Shut the hell up!" I growled. I ran towards him and connected swords. "What exactly do you want with me?"

"Isn't it obvious?" He said with a cool smirk. He wasn't really putting up much of a fight. The sword, however... It alone pushed me back. I jumped back to regain some momentum.

"What the Hell is a human like you doing with Banryu?" I said, pointing my sword at him.

"You know about my Halberd?" He said, connecting swords with me again.

"Puh. What, do you call it that because you chop people's heads off with it? Tch. Fitting." I spat as I redirected Banryu to the ground. I reached for its handle, ready to tear it from the human's grip, and sparks immediately sprang forward onto my hand. I sprang backwards. _So it still rejects me, huh?_ The young man's expression only grew more curious.

"My _companion_ doesn't seem to like you all that much. Wonder why." He said as he pulled Banryu up and pointed it at me. _I bet Banryu appreciates being referred to as a companion._ "How exactly do you know about it? More so, how could you know I chop off heads with it?"

"It told me." I said, readying my sword, "I'd be pretty concerned if I didn't know anything about it. I created it, after all."

"Really? A sword that rejects its creator. Interesting." The young man said as we crossed blades once more.

"Tch. Save it. I'll be taking Banryu back, if you don't mind."

"Over my dead body!" He said, pushing me back yet again.

I sneered and dropped the chain on my right arm to the ground and swung it towards him. The man raised the sword to block and the chain wrapped around Banryu. I jerked the halberd from his hand and, as it flew to the ground, I lunged forward to slash away at him. He kept his cool, casually dodging each slash of my sword with simple steps and a straight face.

"You sure do like to swing that thing around. What is that? A priestess sword?" He said with a haughty grin as he continued to dodge me.

"Trying to get me to lose my focus? Get me frustrated? Heh, sorry, but that won't work on me." I kept slashing, knowing that he'd slip up eventually - _no human could be faster than me_. Turns out he hit a wall before I could out-speed him. _Good enough._ I lunged forward to deal the final blow, aiming for his neck. He grimaced. _Damn._ He opened his eyes, intrigued by the fact that he was still alive. The tip of my sword was held at less than a centimeter from his neck.

"DAMN IT ALL." I said, plummeting to the ground. "I can't do it." I put my hands on my face in shame.

"Interesting. You're fighting for your life and yet you can't finish me off." The man said, scratching his cheek. He walked over to Banryu and lifted it up out of the ground. I sat, shaking, my face in my hands as I cried in frustration. I pivoted around to face him, putting my hands on the ground.

"I won't beg for mercy. I cannot continue fighting. Do what you wish." _I'm too hungry and tired to run, and I will NOT be any more of a disgrace than I already am._

"Very well then." He said, raising the massive sword above his head. I cringed, closing my eyes and dropping my head. * _CLANG!*_ _What?_

I was still alive. I looked down at my hands, which were suddenly freed from my shackles. I looked back up at the man in shock.

"I like your style. My name is Bankotsu and I am the leader of The Band of Seven. I'd like to say it's the best team of mercenaries around."

"Aren't you here to kill me?" I breathed.

"Doesn't matter anymore." He responded. "Stand up, Misaki."

"How did you-"

"You think a mercenary would go to kill someone without knowing who they are?" He said, cocking his head at me. _Then why did you all keep referring to me as the partial with golden hair? You know what? That's not important._

"Mercenary, huh. I'm curious as to why they'd send such an elite team after me." I said, standing up and brushing myself off. The entirety of the Band of Seven stood there watching - just as dumbfounded as I was with this whole situation.

"I don't see why, either. Other than the fact that we lobbied for the job. You don't exactly seem like the dangerous type, Misaki." The man stated lackadaisically, scratching his head as he rested Banryu on his shoulder. _Is this guy serious?_

" _Gee_ , I wonder what gave you _that_ idea. Maybe it was the fact that I wasn't able to finish you off?" I sniped at him.

"Now now. No need to be hostile." He said, waving his free hand at me.

"How can I be anything else?! You're going to kill me, aren't you?"

"What, do you _want_ to die or something?"

"Of course not!"

"Well then, why don't you just shut up and join us in our travels instead?" Bankotsu said.

"Wait, what?" The entire Band of Seven chimed in. Bankotsu sent a look to the group that silenced them immediately.

"Okay, you _can't_ be serious right now." I said.

"I _am_ being serious." He said, pinching his forehead in frustration. "Look, I don't want to kill you."

"Why not? It's what you came here to do."

"Call it a whim." He said evenly.

I cocked my head at him. _Why the Hell is this guy changing tunes? What's his game?_ "How can I know that I can trust you?"

"You can't know for sure unless you try. But just so you know, I despise betrayal."

"Okayy, I don't know how that even BEGINS to explain -"

"Look, it will be good for you to have some people who can protect you while you look for a new home, won't it? We can help you out with that. Besides, I'm curious to learn a little more about my companion."

"I... I guess..." _So that's his game, huh? He wants to learn about Banryu..._

"Ah, yes. You're a fine girl indeed. Well then, Misaki - in that case - I'm going to make you my woman!" He said with a big cheeky grin, throwing his arm around my shoulders. My eyes widened. _Heke?_

"I am NOT something to be **OWNED**!" *smack!* _Right on the cheek._ I huffed at him for a moment. _Where the Hell did_ _ **that**_ _come from?_ He took a few deep, brooding breaths as his face became distorted in frustration. His nose wrinkled.

"Well girl, you're going to regret that if you don't apologize." He said, coolly.

"I have nothing to apologize for - you deserved it, you pig!" I huffed, turning a bit away from him.

"Why you... what was that, WENCH?" He growled, grabbing my hair and yanking my head to him.

"Whoa, take it easy there, Bankotsu. This isn't how-" The feminine one began to say. I quickly cut him off with a hiss.

"I've lived enough of my life being owned. Lay one more aggressive hand on me and I _definitely_ won't go with you!" And with that, he quickly released my hair.

"Okay, I won't." He sighed, showing me his hands submissively to calm me down. _Well that was easy._ "Look, I'm not intending to hurt you or kill you. I just want to help-"

"And why the Hell is that?"

"Well, for one thing, you've got amazing combat skills - and it would be such a waste to just kill you. On top of that, you are my _companion's_ creator, so I can get some extra info. You are also rather intriguing. For instance, Banryu - it rejects you. You also seem to be completely incapable of killing another human being, even if it costs you your life. BUT you have a priestess sword, which probably means demons are ok for you to take out - and that expression tells me I'm right... Your _are_ rather beautiful as well, in fact... Shall I go on?"

"Not much of this makes sense as to why _you_ , a mercenary, would be interested in me."

"She has a good point Big Brother. Why _are_ you pressing this? I say we kill her and get the money that we -"

"-Renkotsu!" Bankotsu shot a glare at Renkotsu - who backed off - then took a step toward me, changing his expression to something more... gentle. "Look, I have my reasons. That's all you need to know." he said, opening his arms welcomingly.

I glared at him suspiciously. "I cannot kill humans. I cannot help you."

"I could tell. I'm not asking you to kill anyone. Though, I bet you could kill demons just fine."

"What will you do if I decline? I do not wish to be forced into any decision."

"I'm _inviting_ you to travel with us, not threatening you with your life."

"And what if I join you all and then decide to leave? Can I do that?"

"You may come and go as you please." Bankotsu answered, completely calm. _That's odd._

"And what of this 'making me your woman' thing?"

"You just made it _pretty_ clear that you are not an item to be owned."

"So?" _As if I'd believe you'd give up that easily._

Bankotsu lifted his chin, closed his eyes, and grinned. "I'll just have to earn your love while you stay."

My face grew red, "You should probably worry about trust first!"

"Ha ha, does that mean you'll join us? I mean, we sorta left you without a home - if you want to call being shackled in an old hut, _home_ "

I thought quietly for a moment.

"I suppose I _do_ need to at least look for a new home. That point has already been made..."

"At the very least, we could help you find a home that accepts you for you. Promise we won't pillage whichever one you pick." Bankotsu said.

I thought for a moment, then confidently put my hands on my hips. "Alright, you're on. So uh, who's who?"

And thus, began a new adventure for me to embark upon. How was I going to deal with these mercenaries when my own heart was oh so soft? What was I going to do about Banryu and this Bankotsu fella? This would be the first time in a long time that I was free. I could just leave but... will my fears chain me down? I guess the real question is, am I really actually free?


	2. Chapter 2: Bonding

_Chapter 2: Bonds_

 _Careful with Mukotsu. He has a tendency of... having his way with women...'_ Jokotsu's words kept ringing in my head. Mukotsu has been staring at me since I joined the Band of Seven. I laid as far away from them as possible - as far away from _him_ as possible. _Quit letting it get to you, Misaki._ I couldn't, though - I started praying. _Please, please, please._

"Hey, what's wrong, Misaki?" I heard Bankotsu's voice behind me, making me jump. I look up at him. "You're not cold are you?" He asked quietly, a look of concern on his face. I shook my head. "Well then, why are you shaking? You scared of something?" I held his gaze for a moment before letting my eyes flicker towards Mukotsu, then quickly back to him. Bankotsu followed my eyes and a look of realization broke out on his face. "Ah"

"Sorry." I said.

"Don't be," he responded. He then raised his voice so that Mukotsu could hear. "Hey. Mukotsu."

"Yes, Brother Bankotsu?" He answered.

"You _do_ know that Misaki here is off-limits in your twisted _traditions._ Yes?"

"Of course, brother. You have made it very clear that she is only yours and I would never overstep you."

"Then why have you been ogling her ever since she started travelling with us?"

"I'm sorry, brother. She's just so..." He trailed off as he looked at Bankotsu's expression. "I am sorry Brother Bankotsu. It will not happen anymore." He stated.

"Good." He said. He then lowered his voice. "Now then, there's no need to worry anymore, okay?"

"Thank you, Bankotsu." I said, quietly. The anxiety that clutched at my chest eased a bit. Bankotsu stood there for a minute, as if contemplating whether or not to ask if he could join me. _Not on your life._ Eventually, however, Bankotsu cleared his throat and went back to his sleeping quarters.

... [The next few days pass]

...

[Bankotsu:]

"Aw man" I sighed as I sat down indian style next to Jokotsu.

"What's the matter, Big Brother?" Jokotsu asked.

"Misaki has been traveling with us for days now, and yet we've barely made any progress."

"Well, it's no wonder. You guys haven't spent that much time together."

"Well it's hard to talk with her when everyone's around. It's like she has this wall... Hey, you guys have gotten to be pretty good friends. How should I go about this?"

"Geez, you really are clueless, aren't you, Big Brother?" Jokotsu said, making my face flush a bit. "You gotta get her alone. Show her the 'you' that doesn't just like killing. Find something you have in common or something."

"But how do I get her alone to do that?"

"Oh, I know! We're running low on food. You should go fishing today!"

I knocked him on the head. "Food is your job. Do it yourself." I said begrudgingly.

"No, I mean it's something you can do with Misaki. It's such a boring task, it allows easy conversation." Jokotsu said, rubbing his head.

"Oh" I said, bumping my fist on my open hand. "Hey, that's a good idea, Jokotsu. Sorry. I'll go ask her."

...

[Misaki:]

 _I swear I wasn't watching him because I liked him or anything. I was merely watching Bankotsu because this was the first time in the few days I'd been traveling with them that he needed to speak to someone in private. Mere curiosity, that's all this is. Yeah, that's all it- whoa, did he just bonk Jokotsu on the head? Now he looks like he just understood something... Oh, crap! He's getting up._ I quickly focused on the fire.

He got up from talking with Jokotsu and sauntered over to me.

"Hey"

"Yo. What's up?" I wasn't looking at him. Instead I focused on aggravating the fire with a stick. I made a satisfied grin as I stirred the fire and saw him make a face at me. _Judging me already, huh? Probably thinking something along the lines of me being a pyromaniac._

[Bankotsu: _What is she, a pyro or something? Hope not, cause then she'd end up being a better match for Renkotsu and not me_.]

"We're running low on food supplies. Wanna... go fishing... with me?"

 _Huh?_ I looked up to him in confusion. He was lightly scratching his head with his finger - I took it as a sign of discomfort for Bankotsu. "Fishing?"

"You _do_ know how to fish, don't you?"

"'Course I do." _Geez, how condescending can you be?_

"Well then, would you like to go fishing with me?"

 _Why does this conversation seem so awkward? He's just asking me to help him fish. Geez._ I stared at him blankly for a moment before standing up. "Uh, sure. Yeah, I'll go fishing with you." _Wow, for once I'm actually having a pretty normal exchange with him. Maybe that's why it feels so awkward._

"Alright! That's my girl!" He exclaimed, throwing his arm tight around my shoulders "Let's get goi-"

The next thing I knew, I had slapped him. I mean, REALLY slapped him. A big red mark shown exactly where on his cheek I had struck. A spark of annoyance crossed his face. He let me go and faced me.

"Wench, you _do_ realize the 'no aggression' clause should go **both** ways, right?"

"You put your hands on me first. Be a man, deal with it." I said, trying to save face.

"Then maybe _you_ should be a **typical** woman and know your place!"

My tone dropped, becoming very irritated and serious as I looked him square in the face "Go by yourself. The _man_ should be the one to go fishing _anyways_."

There was that look on his face. The same look as when I said I wouldn't go with him if he got physical with me. _Gotcha'._ My head snapped away from him in a huff.

Bankotsu reeled for a moment, groaning and cursing under his breath.

"Well, on that note-" I started to walk away.

Bankotsu sighed and, in a disgruntled tone said "Alright alright. Damn it. I'm sorry, okay? The idea was to spend time with you, not piss you off." His tone quickly changed, as smooth as silk he continued " Can we please start over?"

"You wanted to spend time with me?" _Oh DAMN IT!_ _Stupid._

"How else are we going to get to know one another?"

 _Stupid-stupid-STUPID response. Good going Misaki._

I could feel my cheeks prick with heat. I looked up in the hope that he didn't notice. At that very moment, I saw his eyebrows raise, and that haughty grin broke out across his face. _He noticed._

"What, are you really so dense that you didn't realize the _reason_ I wanted to go fishing with you?"

 _Oops. I_ _ **knew**_ _I shouldn't have said that. So stupid..._ "I mean, it makes sense now that you've said it..." I could feel my face getting really hot now. _God, that's embarrassing._

"And it's not that I'm dense, it's that it was out of character for you to ask me to do something in the first place. And I figured it had something to do with me earning my keep. It threw me off." _Hopefully that was a good enough save. To think he'd actually want to do this to get to know me._

"Well, let's hope you'll be better at catching fish than picking up hints" Bankotsu said, waving his hand lackadaisically as he turned away and started walking. "Otherwise everyone _might_ be going hungry tonight".

 _Huh? Is he really expecting me to follow?_ "Hey, we're not done here!"

"Either come along or sit and bitch. Either way - doesn't bother me."

"Why you..." A shiver suddenly went up my spine and I quickly glanced around. _Everyone is watching us. You creeps!_ "Ugh, damn it. Wait up!"

...

...

 _Okay, so we've been sitting for five minutes and haven't said a word to each other since we left. Geez, I can't stand the silence._ "So... do you like fishing?" _I guess if you're going to start talking, it's best to start with the basics._

Bankotsu gazed up thoughtfully "Not particularly. It's rather boring, and I hate when the line snaps after waiting 3 hours for a single bite."

"Well, yeah. That can be annoying." _It's probably because you pull too hard on the line._

"But, you know, when it can't be avoided, at least I get to do one of my favorite things..." He leaned back from his Indian-style position, his pole wedged in his legs, and crossed his arms under his head, closing his eyes.

"And what's that?"

"This."

"Just laying in the sun. Just like that."

"Rather than stating the obvious in that mocking tone of yours, you should try it for yourself."

 _He does look rather relaxed._ Intrigued, I followed suit, glancing in his direction on occasion to see if I was doing it right _._ Bankotsu took a deep breath in and let out a delighted sigh "Just feel the warmth radiating down on you. It's so nice, isn't it?"

"Yeahh" I was starting to see what he meant. _I wonder if this is why he's so tan..._ I looked in his direction again. _Wow, of course_ _ **I**_ _would have that thought at a time like this._ My eyes scanned his body, resting on his face. I followed his jaw line, then across to his content grin and then overall at his relaxed expression. _He looks so serene. So at peace._

He took a deep breath in again "So what about you?" He looked at me. I averted my eyes but I knew it was too late. He caught me looking at him. _Here it comes._ But to my surprise, he waited for me to meet his gaze again before finishing his thought, his deep blue eyes locking with mine. "Do _you_ like fishing?"

 _Huh? He catches me staring at him and asks me_ _ **that**_ _?_ Nothing but a look of enlightening curiosity was conveyed through his expression. "I mean, not completely. I don't mind the actual 'boring' fishing part but when it comes down to killing the fish... I have a hard time with that."

"Well, you won't have to worry about killing the fish." He closed his eyes for a moment "I can do that. Just be ready to catch one, ya' know?"

"Um, yeah. Thanks" I glanced back at him again before looking up at the clouds.

"And feel free to continue sneaking a peak at me when you think I'm not paying attention"

Heat pricked at my cheeks as I wildly looked back at him. That arrogant smirk slowly started to replace that previous enlightened look on his face. Those dark blue eyes opened and then held my gaze as his lip curled up in a crooked grin, a chuckle escaping him. "You really hoped I wouldn't notice, huh? Or at least say anything. That astonished look says it all."

Just then, there was a tug on my line.

"Aren't you going to get that?" Bankotsu asked, breaking our gaze to look toward the pole. That was enough to pull me out of my trance, and I sat up to tend to my line.

"Whoa, look at how big it is!" Bankotsu exclaimed. The deep crest that began to form in the water told tale of how big the fish really was.

"Oh"

"What's wrong?"

"I always hate catching bigger fish"

"How come?" He said, sounding a bit annoyed now.

"Well for one thing it probably took forever for that fish to get so big... it's kinda sad to think that all that hard work to survive would be wasted." The fish thrashed in the other direction as I skillfully relieved some of the pressure on the taught line "Not to mention the line will probably break under this pressure."

"Well, think of it this way:" Bankotsu stood up, grabbing Banryu and lifting it out of the ground "the fish was cocky enough to challenge the line - obviously it's seen many like it, so it got too brave -too cocky." He walked over to the bank and peered in, Banryu resting on his shoulder "And just think of how many younger fish we're saving" He lifted up Banryu, taking careful aim "By taking out this guy" and with one swift movement, thrust the enormous sword into the river. The water became calm again. _He got it._

I watched as Bankotsu waded into the river to retrieve his sword and the prize fish. "I never really thought of it like that. Thank you."

"For what?" He said, as he heaved the large fish over his shoulder.

"For helping me feel a little better about taking this fish."

"Oh. No problem, I guess. Puh. You really _are_ a gentle person, huh?" He nodded at me.

"Oh" My hand met the edge of my cheek bone, "I'm crying."

"Yes, you are." He stared at me for a moment, almost apologetically, before making his way back to the bank. "Say your prayer for the trout. He's going to help keep us strong and fit for any upcoming battles."

 _It seems that even Bankotsu wouldn't dare mock me for this_. I was grateful that he knew when to draw the line, as I also knew we still needed to catch a few more fish, what with Kyokotsu and Ginkotsu waiting to be fed with the rest of us. Being three times the size of a normal human, they could have probably eaten this fish in one sitting, despite it being big enough to feed a family of ten.

"We'll need to catch quite a few more fish. This one _would_ have been able to feed the lot of us, if it weren't for Kyokotsu and Ginkotsu. Best get to work." _Creepy how we both just thought of that..._

"Right" I quickly wiped the tears from my eyes and began to reset my fishing rod.

"You know, you don't _have_ to stay here if you don't want to. No one is forcing you."

"No, it's ok, really. It's just been a while since I've done this."

Bankotsu strode right over to me. He dropped down to eye level and looked straight into my eyes, his hands resting lightly on my shoulders. His brow furrowed in a relay of concern. Something fluttered in my stomach. His eyes flitted a bit, as if searching for something. "Are you sure you're up to this?"

"Please, it's just fishing, Bankotsu." I said, rolling my eyes, "I'll be fine. Besides, I want to know some more things about you." _Should I have said that?_

And with that, he removed his hands and twisted back to a lounging position "Alright then. Suit yourself"

 _Geez, it didn't take much to convince_ _ **him**_ _._

I stared blankly at him for a moment before casting my line.

"So you know a bit about my past. Care to tell me a little bit about yours?"

"In time. Not today." Bankotsu replied swiftly.

"Alright then." I sighed. _Well that was a buzz kill._ We sat in silence for a moment. I searched my mind for things to say to fill the silence, when a common thought sprung to my head. I became rather melancholy as I looked back in his direction. If we were going to get anywhere in our possible friendship, this question had to be asked.

"Are you really not fazed by the fact that I'm a partial?" He looked at me, his eyes calm, as if he'd been expecting that question at some point. I looked down, focusing on my rod.

"It's kind of obvious that I'm not particularly bothered by misfits."

"Even so, there's one thing that all of the Band of Seven have in common." I could feel Bankotsu's eyes on me. Unflinchingly boring into me.

"Oh yeah? And what's that?"

"They're all human."

"So are you," he responded. It was in such a matter-of-fact tone that it almost felt silly to argue the subject. And yet, as much as I wanted to believe his words, a twinge in my heart brought me back to reality.

"Not _completely._ " I responded.

Bankotsu laughed. "Yes you _are._ You talk like a human, you walk like a human and you _feel_ like a human. Therefore, you _are_ human. Hell, you're more human than _I_ am. You simply have an extra ability in your arsenal. You may be able to harness a slight demonic aura, but your basic being is completely human. You may have demonic powers, but you also have spiritual powers, and you have a _human_ heart."

I was stunned. At a loss for words. Without even really thinking about it Bankotsu had said what I had been trying to explain to people for years. I felt another tear prick at the corner of my eye. _Damn it. What is with me and crying today?!_

"Hey," Bankotsu sat up, wiping the tear from my cheek. The fishing rods now lay on the ground, unattended "Now I don't want to hear anything more about you being a partial, okay? That does not define you." _God, why does he have to pick now to be so sweet?_

I nodded as my lips started to tremble. _Stop crying, damn it. You're gonna weird him out._ It was true. Bankotsu had unintentionally made my emotional state worse, and he was beginning to look and feel powerless to reverse it.

"Damn it. I'm sorry" I said, shaking my face free of his hand. "I'm not usually like this."

"Course you are. You put your heart into everything, whether it's love or hate. You take everything too seriously. That's what women do."

"Not this again" I couldn't help but grin at the stupid-ass comment. _He barely knows me and yet he knows just how to get my mind off things._

"Oh, you meant the _crying_ thing! I thought you meant the taking everything _way_ too seriously thing."

"I do _not_ take everything way too seriously!" I exclaimed, relaying his mocking tone. My tears had all but dried up.

"Oh yeah? Prove it. Show me that you can loosen up." He exuded confidence with a challenging grin. His face was dangerously close to mine. So close that we could easily... _no way. I won't give him the satisfaction. I have a much better idea._

"Nahhh," I sighed as I leaned away from him a bit, "I don't need to." I got up and walked a bit in the other direction.

"Acting nonchalant is not going to persuade me, Misaki. Where are you going? We still have fish to catch."

I kept walking, glancing beckoningly over my shoulder. Bankotsu's eyebrows raised in recognition. He quickly sat the two rods up and followed me up the bank, leaving Banryu behind.

He followed closely behind me until I turned on my heel to face him. I grabbed him by the collar and leaned into him a bit, twisting my body ever-so-slightly to get into position. He shifted with me, a light smirk on his face, and gently placed a hand on the nape of my neck.

"You want me to loosen up?" I breathed, stretching my neck. "Well here it goes." Bankotsu shifted a bit so that he could bring his lips closer to mine. Just as he removed his hand to switch positions, I gave him a good hard push - right into the river. He quickly splashed to the surface.

"What the Hell was _that_ , Misaki?!" I was too busy laughing to answer him.

"I... can't... believe... you... fell... for... that!" I struggled to say between the giggles. I was laughing so hard that I had to brace my arms against my ribcage so they wouldn't hurt.

"Haa haa. So funny, Misaki." He said, putting his hands on his hips and looking away from me in a mockingly huffy manor. That made me laugh even harder. His eyes quickly slid back in my direction.

"Well then, if you think it's THAT funny, let's say you see it from my end?" He said, a childish grin breaking out on his face as he moved towards me.

"No-no. D-don't." I said, backing away, unsuccessfully trying to stifle my giggles. He came up to me with his arms wide open, ready to grab me. I turned to run away, but my laughter made me too slow, and he grabbed me from behind, his arms wrapping around my waist. He rested his chin on my shoulder and turned his mouth towards my neck so I could _feel_ his words.

"Your turn, Misaki." He whispers, picking me up off the ground and turning towards the river. I started to kick and flail, and so he changed his grip, holding onto my legs too [bridal style] and forcing me into a ball. _Damn, to think he'd actually be stronger than me._

"N-n-n-no! Ba-Bankotsu, please, don't!" I exclaimed, laughing hysterically.

"In ya' go!" He exclaimed, throwing me into the river. Little did he know that I had a hold of his kimono and didn't plan on letting go when he threw me. I jerked him in as well.

We burst to the surface at the same time and looked at each other. We both erupted into laughter and started splashing each other. Bankotsu came closer and wrapped his arms around me to throw me up into the air. He caught me again, water splashing around us, and hugged me tight from behind. My eyes open wide as I realized...

"Hahaha, looks like I was wrong! You **can** relax."

"Hehe, yeah, I told you I could." I tried not to stiffen.

"What's wrong?" Bankotsu asked. _Guess he noticed._ I glanced behind me to see his worried expression transform into a smirk. "Heh. Guess I spoke too soon, huh?"

"No!" I twisted around in his arms to face him and put my hand on his chest to keep my distance. "I just..." I trailed off and avoided his gaze.

He chuckled and squeezed me a bit. "I know, I know. Too soon." He grinned and let me go. He began to drift backwards away from me before pivoting to face the bank. "We should have lunch before resuming our fishing - they've all probably been scared away at the moment."

 _He's leaving?_ I began to follow him towards the bank as I thought. _I didn't think he'd be the type to take a hint, let alone listen to it. Sorry, Bankotsu but you're right; that was a little too close for comfort._ I get to the edge of the bank and find a hand, waiting to help me out. I smile and accept his gesture.

"Thanks." I said as he pulled me up. But he didn't respond as he stared at me. In fact, it didn't seem like he was listening at all. I looked at him, confused, as his hand held fast to mine. "What is it, Bankotsu? You're freaking me out!" Bankotsu looked up into my eyes. I could feel my face grow a little hot as I realized that he hadn't been looking at my face. He cleared his throat and let his eyes flicker down again before meeting my eyes again. _Do I_ _ **dare**_ _look?_ I look down and, sure enough, my soaked kimono was completely see-through. My face reddened and I squealed, quickly wrapping my arms over my chest. Ashamed and embarrassed, I plummeted to the ground. "Oh my gosh. Oh no. Damn."

"See, at times like this, cursing is definitely allowed." Bankotsu stated, unsure of what to say.

"Shut up, Bankotsu." I whined.

"Look, it's fine. I won't say anything about it. Okay?" Bankotsu kneeled down and reached his hand out toward me, attempting to console me.

"Leave me alone, please." I said stagnantly, my head buried in my knees. _Nobody had ever seen that much of me. Well, I guess that's not necessarily true - but_ _ **that**_ _doesn't count in my book. I guess I_ _ **feel**_ _like I had never been that exposed to someone before - especially someone I had only just started to get to know as a friend. God, this is humiliating. How in the world am I supposed to keep traveling with him, knowing he's seen so much of me?_ I peaked over my knees to look at Bankotsu's expression. I was alone. _He... left..._ I raised my head to look around more. Bankotsu was gone, but Banryu was still there, so it wasn't like he left for good.

 _What should I do? I can't go back to camp like this and I can't leave Banryu. But I can't just sit here like this, can I? What if someone finds me..._

 _Time passes by so slowly sometimes. I feel so lost. So lonely all of the time..._ Tears began to prick at the corners of my eyes. I fought to keep them back, rubbing my face against my soaked sleeves.

"Here, I got you another kimono. This one isn't soaked through. Promise."

"You... got me a kimono?" I blinked at Bankotsu's sudden reappearance.

"Yeah, aren't you going to take it?" He said, raising his eyebrows and shaking the garment at me.

"How exactly did you _get_ that kimono so fast?" I asked, raising an eyebrow back at him. He sighed.

"I bought it, okay? I happened to run into some merchants on my way to town." He replied.

"Sure you didn't _take_ it?"

"How could I have? I left Banryu here."

"Please."

"Wow, you have such little faith in me..."

"You're strong enough to take on an elite guard bare-handed. You could've handled a small group of merchants or bandits easily."

"Heh, ya think?" He said with a wry grin. _Wow, what a dead giveaway._

"Not to stroke your ego or anything but you're just as strong as I am - if not, more. Pretty impressive for a human. And your combat skills aren't anything to laugh at either. If I can take down an elite team, you probably could too."

"I'm sorry, 'If not, more'? Not to correct you or anything but I'm pretty sure I'm stronger than you."

"You cannot judge my strength based on you picking me up and throwing me in, I was too busy laughing at you to fight you effectively. And I didn't even use all of my strength when I pushed you in."

"Then I guess we'll just have to find out who's stronger then, huh?"

"Eh, I'd rather not." I said, grabbing the kimono from him as his light grin fell into a frown. "Now, if you'll excuse me, I need some privacy while I change. And _no peaking_."

He leaned a little closer. "Party pooper - ya give me a sneak peak and yet I'm still not allowed to see the entire canvas." He said begrudgingly with a mocking tinge to his tone. I laughed and pushed him away from me. He respectfully went to his "corner" so I could change yet still keep an eye on him to make sure he didn't peak.


	3. Chapter 3: Under The Stars

_Chapter 3: Under the Stars_

After our big fish dinner, everybody started to settle down for the night. Everyone settled around one another except for one. I sat at the highest hill off in the distance. The stars were so beautiful. _I still can't believe it. I'm out. I'm free._

"Enjoying the view?" Bankotsu said, startling me.

"Yeah." I responded softly. "You like the sun, I like the stars."

"The stars are pretty good, too." Bankotsu replied. "May I?" He asked, gesturing to the grass next to me.

"Go for it."

He set down Banryu and lounged out beside me, like he had done it without a hitch a million times before.

"You seem right at home, huh?" I started.

"Truth?" He said, turning his gaze to me.

"Sure"

"I do this day and night. Love it regardless of the time of day."

"Huh... Interesting... Truth?"

"Shoot."

"I had a lot of fun today."

"Yeah?" He said, turning to face me completely, a grin breaking out across his face.

"Yeah... did... you?" I found it hard to look him directly in the eye. There was something, very vulnerable about both of us right now.

"Best fishing expedition I've ever been on. You made it fun."

"Really? Despite our bickering and my, heh, issues?"

"Loved it all." He said, his eyes fixed on mine. I felt my heart skip a beat for a moment. _Stop that, heart. He kills people for a living. Don't forget that._

"Look, I know you aren't too keen to be with a guy like me,"Bankotsu said, his eyes narrowing as he looked at the night sky, "A guy who kills for a living, I mean. But, I hope you can see that, aside from that one, very bad thing... ya' know, I'm not too bad." He said.

"I know your not, it's just..." I trailed off.

"Truth?" Bankotsu asked. I looked at him curiously.

"Almost my entire life, I felt like the only way to survive was to be as strong as possible. But, being a human... ya know, I can't have demon powers - and spiritual powers never really suited me. Had no interest in that. So... I figured another way was to pour power into my weapon. And so, I made a wish on my Banryu - I guess it's yours, actually." He stopped to look at me but I remained silent, waiting for him to finish. He cleared his throat, "A wish that if I killed 1,000 war lords and 1,000 demons, it would absorb that power and help make me strong. I haven't gotten anywhere close yet, but I already feel more powerful"

 _So that's why Banryu seems stronger..._ "Even though I created it, that halberd is no longer mine. It rejects me as even a user, let alone it's master." I looked away for a moment. "Picky thing!... No..." I looked back at Bankotsu. "Banryu has chosen _you_ as it's companion." _Though, why it would choose a human as it's master, I don't know. I created Banryu with partials in mind. It was created with little to no aura, so as not to harm a partial. Theoretically, a human could wield it without damage to the sword or user but... With it being so heavy, I never even considered... A demon, half demon, and partial could easily wield and pour power into Banryu to make it more powerful - we'd use it to amplify our own demonic aura. But the only way a human could tap into it's true potential, given that they could lift it, was through blood - artificially creating a demonic aura that would wrap around the blade. I doubt that would be safe._

"Yeah?" He said with a grin. "Glad the feeling is mutual."

"Even so, I must warn you. If you pour all of your effort into a demon sword, you may not be able to control it once it is at full potential. Banryu may consume you." _Why should I even worry about something like that?_

"That won't happen." Bankotsu said. _You fool._

"You really might be strong enough as is. Really... I've never seen a human capable of lifting Banryu." _Just... Listen to me..._

"No way! I need to be _way_ stronger if I want to survive." He retorted. "Besides, once I become the most powerful human around, maybe I'll just... settle."

"You? Settle?" I scoffed. "Yeah, in what life time?"

"Hey now!" He said, laughing a bit before getting serious. "But really! Like, not in a castle or anything - _that's_ too much of a hassle. But just in a little town, like where I grew up. I'd be able to do that, ya know?"

"That seems even more unbelievable! You'd be WAY to restless."

"I've lived in a small village before. When I -"

"-Let me guess. When you were a kid? People change. After all, I'm sure your kid-self didn't get his kicks from killing people." I couldn't help but laugh at my own logic.

"Well, I mean, sure killing is fun and all, but I mostly need it to become strong. And if I was with the right person..."

"Yeah? Like who?" I sat up to look at him, holding back my laughter.

"You..." He said, locking eyes with me.

"Oh." I said, dropping my eyes to the floor and falling silent. _That look he gave me - he seems so sure..._ _to say something with so much conviction... I don't even know how to_ _ **begin**_ _to respond to that._

"...Well, Ima hit the hay." Bankotsu remarked, breaking the silence. I could feel his eyes on me, waiting for me to look back at him. I reluctantly tore my gaze away from the ground to meet eyes with him again. "Do ya think I can stay up here with you tonight? Or are you too chicken to have someone sleep near you."

"Hey, so long as it is _near_ and not _with."_

"You got it, chicky." He said as he turned over in the grass. I had expected someone as forward as him to face me, but instead, he turned away from me. I reciprocated by doing the same.

"Thanks for sharing even a little about your childhood. I enjoyed hearing that tidbit." I said softly. But Bankotsu was already snoring lightly. _Oh well, maybe I'll ask him about his small village later._

Had an easier time sleeping that night. Must've been from the eventful day.

[Author's note: Hey guys, Misaki here to tell you that chapter 4 will be coming and you will finally get to see a little more ;) Trust me, this story will continue to spice up as it goes. Tune in soon! I will be uploading regularly!]


	4. Chapter 4: Another Encounter

_Chapter 4: Another Encounter_

While the rest of the Band of Seven were off doing a mission, I was, for once, not alone. Bankotsu decided that this was a mission that could play out without him and so there he was. To be honest, I could have used the time alone. I made the mistake of allowing Bankotsu to sleep by me and now he always does it. Between that, his constant hovering and the rest of the team, I was being smothered.

"The least you could do is chat with me, Misaki. Quit being such a slouch." Bankotsu whined.

"Ok. Why in the world would you pass up the oppurtunity to have your little pow wow so that you could sit here and force me to converse?"

"If it makes you feel any better, I'm starting to regret it." He sniped.

"Ugh..." I rolled my eyes and looked at him. He looked so dejected. "Aw alright." I groaned.

Bankotsu perked up, his eyes fastened to me. _Way to throw on the pressure._

"Uhh... Well... you um, mentioned something about living in a small village. Mind telling me more about it?"

"Oh, uh... I mean, what else is there to say about it except that it was small and quiet?" Bankotsu said, suddenly nervous. _Why is he squirming?_

"Oh come on, Bankotsu! Did you have any people your age? Friends? Family?"

"Yeah, I had some." He said, diverting his eyes.

"Some what?" I said, irritated. _He begs for conversation and then tries to ditch the topic._

"Some family. Some people my age." He got up, grabbing Banryu and started to walk off.

"Any of them your friends?" I leapt up, following close behind.

"None that matter anymore."

"Really? There isn't one person that stood out to you? Not a name? _Nothing?!_ " I said, stopping in front of him to cut him off.

"Erm, well..." He shifted uncomfortably. "Why... why do you want to know this?"

"I don't... I don't know..." I said, suddenly as hesitant as him. "I just, thought it would help me get to know you better..."

"Any luck?" He said, as he began to walk past me.

"Not at all." I said, chuckling. I turned to catch up to him. "So, what? Do you just want to seem mysterious or is there some negative connotation to talking about your past?"

Bankotsu looked at me out of the corner of his eye, his expression blank. "Let's just say I don't like to talk about it."

"Oh... I know the feeling. I lived in this wonderful little village with my mom and dad. I had one really good friend, Nisume, and a few other good ones. But, as you must've gathered, it didn't last..." Bankotsu's attention had shifted fully to me. We stopped walking. I don't know how he drew this out of me, but I kept talking. "Everyone was wonderful. My parents. The elders. The kids. Everyone just accepted everyone... almost like you do with your team... with me..." I stole a glance at him, and he just stood there, his eyes fixated on me, his expression soft.

"Sounds pretty good." He said with a dredge of meloncholy.

"Yeah, except... ha! Look at me - saying that I get why you don't want to talk about and then... talking about it." I put my hand on my face and laughed nervously. Bankotsu held his gaze.

"Well? You can go on if you want." He said, almost hungry to hear me open up.

"Well, when I left town to study under Master Totosai. With the time I took to create Banryu. The time it took to lose it to a demon... by the time I got back, it -" I took a sharp breath. I had begun shaking and sweating. "It was all burned to a crisp. From what I know, everyone had perished. First, it was my father, a great half demon, who fell victim to an attack of numerous full demons. Then, without the hanyou to protect them, the rest of the village fell to bandits. My home was destroyed and..." I trailed off, something catching in my throat.

"And then you began to wander." Bankotsu finished.

"Yeah."

"And, as fate would have it, the very same person who sleighed the demon that took your sword was the one who was supposed to kill you, but ultimately couldn't."

"*Wouldn't*" I corrected.

"That's wrong..." He said, dropping his head. "I couldn't." It suddenly got quiet. Where were we supposed to go from here?

"Oh, that's right, cause I got the better of you." I said, poking fun, trying to lighten the mood.

"Yeah, right. Like _that_ was the reason." Bankotsu retaliated, without missing a beat.

"I did get the better of you when we first met, Bankotsu."

"To clarify, I wasn't necessarily _trying_. We both know I'm stronger _and_ faster."

"You can NOT base your comparison off of you throwing me in the river! I was laughing too hard to stop you!"

"Why not? You're basing your comparison off of your view of our first encounter!"

"Hey, don't test me, now. Or else you'll find out just how weak a human really is." I chuckled.

"Tch. Yeah, ok. Like _you_ could beat me."

"Hey! I beat you once before!"

"If I remember correctly, I believe you failed to nail me."

"I would have more than beaten you if I had followed through."

"That's what _you_ think."

"Are you saying you lost on purpose? I saw you grimace!"

"I'm saying I never lost. Did you not see me put my hand on your blade? I would have diverted it into the wall had you continued. I was not done - I merely stopped because you stopped." Bankotsu explained, only succeeding in hyping me up more.

"Ok, maybe it wasn't as clear-cut. But if I was sparring with you and not going for the kill, therefore hesitating, I'd beat you, hands down."

"Is that a challenge? Woman, don't take me lightly."

"Puh-lease! I could beat you _any_ day. So long as it's a spar, I'll win every time!"

"Oh yeah?" Bankotsu said, pointing his sword at me with a haughty grin. "You wanna go?"

"Tch, alright lover-boy." I said, pulling my priestess sword from it's sheath. "Let's see what you can do."

"Ready?" Bankotsu said excitedly. "Here I _come_!"

Bankotsu surged forward, almost instantly colliding swords with me. _He's faster than last time._ I held my ground, pushing back the great Banryu just far enough to dodge off to the side and take a swipe at Bankotsu. He quickly retaliated with a big swing of Banryu, forcing me to dodge out of range.

"Holy shit, you _are_ capable of harming someone!" Bankotsu exclaimed, looking down at his torn haori and the clean-cut wound which had begun to bleed a bit. "Granted it's just a graze and it wasn't aimed in a vital area but... damn. I'm impressed." He said, readying Banryu again.

"I needed to make a point." I said.

"And you certainly did. It's been a long time since someone got a scratch on me, let alone torn my clothes. Welp, my turn."

Bankotsu surged forward again and we clashed. This time when I pushed him back, he pushed harder. It took almost all my might to deflect him this time and only off to the side. In response, Bankotsu swiped Banryu horizontally, causing me to I jump straight up and land on top of the massive blade. _Oops._ Electricity began sparking at me feet as Banryu rejected my contact with it. _Gotta bail._ At the same moment I pushed off to bail, Bankotsu swung with excessive force throwing me twice as far as I intended. It was then that Bankotsu took the oppurtunity to gain the upper hand. With lightning speed, he appeared in front of me, taking swing after swing, pushing me back with each one.

I was off balance, trying to block and dodge. Backed against a tree, I finally regained my footing and clashed swords with him. _This is it_. I pushed his blade back an inch and smirked. _I got him -_ And suddenly, the force behind his hands doubled, pushing me back. I quickly grasped both hands onto my blade, stopping it mere inches from my face. My back against the tree, I had nowhere to go but forward. Off to the side with this kind of pressure would be too risky.

"Haaaaaaa!" I pushed back with all my might - and he matched it, pound for pound. _I... I can't overpower him._ And with that realization, Bankotsu quickly stepped back and disarmed me in an instant. My blade spun violently off to the side before hitting the ground. I leaned back against the tree and hung my head in shame. _A mere human just defeated me._

Bankotsu smirked before throwing Banryu into the ground. He took a step closer to me. I grimaced, readying myself for the cocky victory speech. _How embarrasing._

"You won." Bankotsu stated cooly.

"What do you mean, I won? You had me backed against a tree with no weapon."

He looked at me with softness in his eyes. "Because there is no way I could hurt you. I can't win against you. Not ever." He ebbed a little closer to me. "Not in a spar or for real. Not with our swords. Not hand to hand. Half the time not even verbally." He chuckled.

"That shouldn't count like that."

"Too bad. That's how I call it. Even now, you could strike me down and I'd be powerless. Given if I couldn't dodge, that is. I just... I can't hurt you." Bankotsu said, staring into my eyes.

It was then that it finally sunk in. We were alone. This sweet little moment, might not be so innocent. Bankotsu edged a bit closer, refusing to relieve me from his stare. Those deep blue eyes bore into me, almost as if he was searching for something. Something else than what I was giving him.

"Well, I couldn't possibly hurt you either. So, let's say it's a draw." I said, a little breathless.

"That's not the same." He said, leaning forward to speak into my neck, giving me goosebumbs.

"No, it's not just that..." I trailed off. He pulled back for a moment to look me in the eye.

"Don't stop. Keep talking." he breathed, averting my gaze to look at my lips for a moment.

 _There's hunger in his gaze, but there's also something more—an almost violent longing that goes deeper than simple lust._ A strange tightness squeezed my chest, and I felt like I was falling further into this trap of a life, losing even more of myself. "What do you want from me, Bankotsu?" I finally whispered, lifting my hand to cradle his cheek. "What do you need?"

He didn't answer right away. He closed his eyes and leaned a bit into my hand, as though absorbing the sensation. I felt his hand lightly encasing itself over mine. He held my hand, pressed against his face for a few moments. "What do I need..." His brow furrowed as he contemplated my words. He turned his face into the palm of my hand and took a deep breath in, taking in my scent. He chuckled a little, rubbing his cheek into my hand. "What do I want...?" I felt myself flinch and his grasp on my hand tightened a bit. He opened his eyes, showing those big blue irises, a shadow flitting through them. I gulped a bit and tried to take a step back but I merely pressed myself into the tree that had been behind me. _Damn. What are you going to do?_ "What's wrong, Misaki? Why the sudden change? I thought you wanted to know..."

"N-never mind! I don't need to know." I said in a low panic, pulling my hand away from his face. He didn't let go, though, and instead held my hand level with his chest. _I wish I had diverted the subject. I wish we had kept the subject light and easy._ But there was no going back. Especially not this time.

"Too bad. Cause I'm going to answer you. I _think_ you can already tell what I _want_ though." He said with a devilish grin. He barred his free arm beside me, bracing against the tree and then shifted his body toward my free side, blocking my only escape. His eyes locked with mine as he ducked his head to be eye-level with me. He loomed over me and all around me, enveloping me with his entire being. Heat emanated from him. He brought my hand up to his heart, being sure not to break his intense gaze. My heart was hammering in my chest; whether it was from fear or anticipation, I wasn't sure. "God, I love to see you squirm." He chuckled.

"I... I..." I stammered, trying to think of a way to get him to understand that I didn't want this.

"Shhh." He hushed, moving ever-so dangerously closer to me. His lips were inches from mine. The rigid tension of his body surrounded me in the most unsettling way. My heart was going wild and my entire body started to tremble as I instinctively recoiled from his advances and shut my eyes tight.

"Damn it, Misaki..." He whispered under his breath. He then sighed and relaxed a little, moving his face away from mine. "Yeah, I _want_ you, but I also want _you._ What I _need_ is for you to stay with me, and if that means I can't have you, then I guess that's how it's going to be." He looked straight into my eyes, his eyes swimming with restrained emotions. "I won't do anything unless you want me to. From now on, whether you are with me or not rests in your hands. I'm willing to hand over all of my control." He released his grasp on my hand and let his hand slide off the tree. His arms then slowly fell to his side. With that, he turned on his heel and started walking in the other direction. "I promise I won't push..." He paused for a moment to pick up Banryu and tilted his face toward me a bit so I could see the gleam in his eye."... much."

And there I stood. Shocked, trembling, and full of unbridled emotions. Alone. Wondering what the Hell was I in for next...


	5. Chapter 5: Mini - A Lesson in Writing

_Mini-Chapter 5: A Lesson in Writing_

I burst out laughing.

"Hey! What's the big idea, laughing at me like that?" Bankotsu said in a huff.

We were out fishing once again and I had turned the topic over to reading and writing. Little did I realize how good of a bombshell Bankotsu would drop.

"Sorry," I said, quieting my laughter. "It's just, you know words like unequivocally and yet you mean to tell me you can't read or write?"

"PUH-LEASE! I can read."

"Oh yeah? What, exactly?"

"Uhh... the basics..."

"Do you even know what that mark on your forehead means?"

"'Course I do! It means youth! Jeez. I can write too! Just not a lot..."

"Yeah? Like what?"

"I uh... know how to write my name and... a few basic words like hello... but I swear I read more than I write"

"Oh my GOSH!" I said, laughing harder. _It's so clear to me now why he likes to see me squirm. I feel empowered by his squirming. I feel like I have power over him._

"Hey, it's not _my_ fault I didn't have a teacher for much of my life."

"And whose fault was that? Your village's?"

"No, technically I left early to tr-" I cut him off by roaring with laughter.

"Then it's your fault, dummy!" I cackled.

"Whatever! Reading and writing is for the rich and well-off anyways." Bankotsu said hautily. His cheeks flushed a bright red from embarrassment. I guess I laughed at him too much. I focused on stifling the giggles before speaking again.

"Do you want to learn?" I finally said.

"What?" Bankotsu said, straightening up to look at me.

"Do you want to learn how to read and write?"

"You mean you can teach me?"

"'Course I can!"

"You mean you'd really do that for me?"

"Didn't I just offer?"

"Well yeah... Yes, please teach me!" Bankotsu said with excitement.

"Okay! Wow, I didn't think this would excite you so much. Do you want to start now while we wait for fish to bite? I can just write in the soil for now."

"Ready when you are, teach!"

And so our lessons began; any day we would go fishing, I would school Bankotsu. Surprisingly, Bankotsu picked up on the lessons like he picked up intel from a battle field. No matter if I was teaching him a word, a phrase, sentence structure, kanji letters, or anything really - he caught on immediately. I couldn't help but recognize him as a true genious, in a sense. He probably would never be as book smart as Renkotsu, but he would always be more worldly and street smart.


End file.
